The Doctor (Star Trek)

Robert Picardo as Dr. Carlos Matera.

Oh, my favorite EMH.

Yeah.

Oh, hold on.

That's right.

Over 250 credits, but guys, he's the doctor.

The EMH doctor, as Drew said.

From 164 episodes of Star Trek Voyager, 62 episodes of China Beach.

I'm Sara El-Ahmed of the Planetary Society with more of the human adventure across our solar system and beyond.

Last week, Robert Picardo, the EMH from Star Trek: Voyager, helped us explore what Star Trek values most.

This week, he returns to read a letter from Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek's creator, who wrote Star Trek fans asking them to join a brand-new organization called The Planetary Society.

Then we're looking at what Star Trek's extraterrestrial races reveal about what humans still need to become.

If you love Planetary Radio and wanna stay informed about the latest space discoveries, make sure you hit the subscribe button on your favorite podcasting platform.

By subscribing, you'll never miss an episode filled with new and awe-inspiring ways to know the cosmos and our place within it.

If you caught last week's episode, you already know Robert Picardo, the EMH from Star Trek: Voyager.

He's also a member of The Planetary Society's board of directors.

60 years later, the people who brought that vision to life are still carrying its mission forward.

Robert Picardo, who played the Emergency Medical Hologram on Star Trek: Voyager and is now starring in Starfleet Academy, is also a member of The Planetary Society's board of directors.

He joins me today to talk about the deep connection between Star Trek and The Planetary Society, and why Star Trek's vision of cooperation in space matters now more than ever.

Then we'll check in with Bruce Betts, our chief scientist, for What's Up, and a conversation about solar sails in Star Trek episodes.

That vision has been pulling people into real world space exploration ever since, including many of the people at The Planetary Society.

Our next guest is one of them.

Robert, or Bob Picardo, played the Emergency Medical Hologram, also called the EMH, on all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager, beginning in 1995.

The EMH was a holographic doctor, a computer program designed to run in medical emergencies for short periods of time.

Yeah.

So I loved her will they, won't they with the Doctor.

Mm-hmm.

And, um, I was a little sad, like, when she changed again, but then, like, I can't remember-

His doctors.

Oh, yeah, and the Voyager doctor, too.

His name was Doctor.

Um-

The reason they have that is because the chief medical officer is killed in the series opener.

And the holographic doctor, who is called the EMH, gets activated.

But along the way, he gets advancements and whatnot to his programming.

to make him more of an individual with a personality and a sense of individuality.

I hate

him.

He plays the EMH of the USS Prometheus.

And now they have to work together to incapacitate and get rid of the Romulans that have taken over.

So not only did he find his place and accepted within Starfleet, he thrived.

Well, on to the Delta Quadrant with the EMH or the Doctor.

One of my favorite actors.

Like Leonard McCoy, at first he does not want to be there.